Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1887-04-14
a SHARP YANKEE SKIPPER.
He Got HIS Captors Drunk on New
England Rum aud Carried Them
Into Port Prisoners.

He Got HIS Captors Drunk on New
England Rum aud Carried Them
Into Port Prisoners.
In view of the issues between Cana
da and the United States on the fishery
question, the following account of the
method employed by sharp Yankee
skipper to wrest his vessel from
the hands of his captors, the officers
of an English cutter, will prove
interesting, writes Lancaster. Mass,
correspondent of The Boston Globe.
In the early part of the present CEN
fury land about the region of PASSPORT.
Me-, was not under high state of cul.
tvation, and the residents of that re-
& on demanded the produce of other re-
gions, and large carrying trade was
established in American bottoms. and
Yankee packets made their regular
trips to PASSPORT and other ports in
that part OF the country. New England
rum had prominent place in the car
goes of those days, and in the story to
he told it is the star of the piece. Rum
then was cheap and plentiful; then
good sized rum toddies could be bought
for 3 cents. In the language of my
informant, 1.-The quality was excellent.
the liquor being so long on the voyage
in the little old trap schooners that it
had plenty of time to ripen."
About the time referred to there was a
marked flexibility about the line divid-
ing the Yankee from the Briton, it be-
ing so indefinitely defined, which was
an incentive for the arrogant John
Bull mariners to keep close watch
for any and all Yankee crafts that
might come sufficiently near their do
main to permit even very strained
excuse for seizure.
Capt Thomas Hinckley was among
those who ran coasters in those DAYS,
Ebenezer, his brother, sailing with him
as mate. On one of their trips from
Hallowell, when bound into Eastport
with full cargo of merchandise, hea d
winds and an adverse tide compelled
the anchoring of the packet one night
when the voyage was almost ended. Be-
fore morning. on account of the action
of tide and wind, the packet dragged
considerably, and when morning dawn
ed the crew found themselves and YES
sci at point easily claimed by the Brit
ish as ''over the line" In sight was a
British cutter, and soon a boat load of
marines. with ten oars on side, was
dispatched to take the Yankee. There
was no avenue open by which the skip
per could escape, and himself, crew,
and packet were cas- ly captured.
Capt. Hinckley was thoroughly arous-
ed, and declared the seizue highland
ed outrage and direct insult TO his
country. 1t all availed nothing except
to make sport for the captors, WHO
chuckled over their success. He argu-
ed that if lover the line" it was not
thorough intention of his; that the
elements were alone responsible. But
his argument had no effect. and he
soon apparently accepted the situation
in philosophical manner.
Capt. Hnckley had but five men for
his crew, none of whom were armed,
and when it was proposed by the COM
mander Of the cutter 70 make sail for
Halifax on the following day no objec-
ton was made by the captives, so quiet
ly did they submit and accept the
situation.
Capt. Hinckley had on board his craft
good stock of excellent rum, and he
soon became very companionable, and
began to ''set 'em up for those who
nabbed him and his possessions. His
genial bearing and quiet demeanor be.
tokened that he submitted most
grac ously to the inevitable, and dsarm-
ed the lordly Britshers of all suspicion,
so they readily accepted his hospitality
aud drank at every invitation. 1t
might have been noticed, but it wasn't,
that the captain of the Yankee craft
and his crew took very Eight ones"
for theirs.
As result of repeated rotations,
midnight found those in charge of the
captured packet drunk as new rum.
Then the officer was seized and made
prisoner below, and the crew was
disarmed and chained up.
Then the work began. The MINDLESS
was manned and the canvas set. A
leading wind having set in the crew of
the old packet turned her stern toward
Halifax swinging her bow toward Lubec,
which was reached in due time. having
borne away from the British cutter
without creating an alarm among
those on board.
After arrival in port Capt. Hinckley
paced the dock at which his vessel was
moored, carrying on his shoulder
one of the captured British muskets,
waiting for the break of day. Soon
after daylight the prisoners were
brought forth, and more sheepish.
crestfallen, and cheap-feeling set of
men never came out from under the
influence of copious draughts of New
Englandrum. The commander of the
crew who was left in charge of the
captured vessel said that he couldn't
blame the shrewd Yankee skipper for
recapturing his vessel, but he regarded
himself as blank fool to be so easily
taken in after what was regarded as a
sharp trick on the part OF the cutter
commander had been played
Capt. Hinckley received instructions
from an American ship-of-war, then
In port, that il any attempt was made
10 recapture his vessel that he
give a certain signal and prompt
assistance would be rendered. There
was no such attempt, however. The
cargowas discharged and sold in the
customary manner.
This scores good one for New